Japan is actually doing pretty well in its efforts to cut down on smoking in public. Like most Asian nations, it still has a long way to go, but at least you don’t see as many cigarette butts on the street as you did years ago.
Here’s an unusual campaign that I came across online. It’s a series of anti-smoking posters from jti.co.jp. More than a few of these are a little bit strange. Have a look at these three and let me know if you agree. My personal favorite is the second one with the snowman! Read the rest of this entry »
This is Kasuganomichi Station in Kobe, easily one of the narrowest and most dangerous train platforms that you’ll ever see. This video is from a few years back, so lets hope that they’ve made appropriate renovations to ensure everyone’s safety. Because this is a little much. Read the rest of this entry »
So it’s the last day of 2009. A tough year for most people, in Japan or elsewhere. For those of you living in Japan, I’m curious to hear how you plan to ring in 2010 tonight. A trip to the local temple maybe? A party at some bar? A quiet evening with family and friends?
Have a look at how RoninDave on youtube spent the last few hours of 2008 one year ago. It will give you a good idea of how people in Japan celebrate New Year. Read the rest of this entry »
This is just amazing. Check out the kick by Nagoya Grampus head coach Dragan Stojkovic as he’s standing on the sidelines near midfield. It’s all the more amazing when you consider that he didn’t have much of a run up.
Of course, those familiar with his football career in the former Yugoslavia will not be surprised that Dragan has some kick still in his legs. Maybe Nagoya should reassign him to a player/coach role? Read the rest of this entry »
At first thought, Pachinko seem to be like the Japanese version of the pinball except that it’s not. It is actually a cross between a slot machine and a pinball machine. You amass these balls and then you win and if you’re lucky you get trays full of them. Pachinko is fun and so addictive it should be illegal because people are gambling money away for that euphoric feeling of WINNING.
I found an article which teaches even FOTB gaijins proper Pachinko etiquette, and was rather amused at the matter-of-factly tone of the write-up. It’s serious business when it comes to Pachinko, don’t let the colorful lights fool you.
Pachinko feature article at Metropolis.co.jp
Amidst the current economic crisis that has currently hit the world, more and more people are looking towards stretching the value of their dollar. Where vehicles are concern, Honda’s latest hybrid Insight cannot come at a better time. The Insight is the cheapest hybrid car around with a tag price of under 2million Yen, which makes it roughly $21,000 to purchase. The gas-electric hybrid makes for a favorable option as consumers can stretch their gas bills a few miles longer.
But Japan’s No. 2 automaker said demand for the Insight has been so brisk that the company has received more than 5,000 orders, easily beating its monthly target.
“This is so much better than expected. The Insight is priced below 2 million yen, and is energy efficient. We believe consumers like these aspects,” said Honda spokeswoman Natsuno Asanuma.
Even before the launch, Honda had received about 5,000 orders for the Insight, Asanuma said. The Insight goes on sale in April in the U.S., and in March for Europe.
Honda’s Insight is cheaper than Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius, the most popular hybrid, which sells for $22,000 in the U.S. and 2.3 million yen in Japan.
A Japanese university developed a robot that helps with household chores. We are edging closer and closer to the fact that foreign maids and its business is going to the dogs soon once this becomes mass produced.
A new robot developed by the University of Tokyo and Toyota Motor Corp., able to collect the washing and move furniture for cleaning, is being touted as the first step towards a robotic domestic helper.
Robots have traditionally been bad at handling anything other than solid objects, but the robot named, “AR,” is able to recognize clothes by their creases and actually pick them up, repeating the action should it drop them.
During its introduction to the media on Friday, AR carried a cup and saucer on a tray from a table to the kitchen; collected washing and put it in the washing machine, and swept the floor, moving furniture where necessary.
However, AR’s movements were slow and often clumsy, and University of Tokyo Professor Masayuki Inaba said more work is needed: “The task now is to improve its efficiency and endurance.”
I am sure they can fix the klutzy robots in due time.
It’s disturbing that Japanese people who are married to foreigners can actually hijack their kids away from their foreigner partners and GET away with it.
I don’t see the poor child has to suffer the loss of a parents just because the adults can’t keep their act together. Sigh, some sort of policies should be endorsed to protect foreigners who are married to Japanese citizens, at least acknowledge some rights in the procreation of the child. A baby is not born with just the egg or the sperm.
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